Feeding-tbough



W. A'. MCCOLLOUGH.

FEEDNG THOUGH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2o. |915.

Ll 93,1 65. Patented Auw. 1, 1916.

WITNESS/ f5 N VEN ro/Q,

WA. M9 COLLoL/GH WILLIAM A. IVICCOLLOUGH, F WEBSTER CITY, IOWA.

FEEDINGr-TROUGH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial No. 51,626.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. MGCOL-l provide an improved construction for feeding troughs in which a semi-skeleton hopper is superposed over a trough, the trough being y divided lengthwise on the median line of the said hopper.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved hopper for feeding troughs, the hopper being of skeleton construction in its lower portion and provided with adjustable means for partly or wholly coverinO said skeleton ortion and ada )tinfr b D the hopper for use in feeding different kinds v of feed.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved combined hinge and latching hook.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, showing the sliding shields in various positions of adjustment, the one at the left being broken away at its lower end.

This invention relates to and is an improvement on the 'devices illustrated, described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent filed February 23, 1915, Serial Number 9887,` allowed on August 18, 1915, to which application reference hereby is made.

In the construction of the device as shown a base member is formed -of longitudinal frame members 10 spaced apart and connected by cross members 11. The frame members 10, 11 preferably are formed of metal straps suitably riveted together. Trough supports 12 are laid upon and riveted in their central portions to each of the cross members 11, and said trough supports are curved upwardly at their ends, to conform to the outer curvature of the trough to be supported therein. The trough supports 12 are bent at their ends to form eyes or hinge members 13, 14;. A trough is provided and is formed of a sheet metal body 15 provided with metal cleats 16 therebeneath. The cleats v16 are formed with intcgral eyes 17 or hinge members at ione end, and are pivotally connected to the eyes 13 by special hinge bolts 18. Thus the trough is hinged at one side to one side of the base member and is adapted to rest thereon in use, and at times to be swung upwardly and outwardly, as shown in my companion application above referred to, to clean the trough or to keep animals out of it when not in use. The trough body 15 in this instance is bent in the form of parallel semi-cylindrical subdivisions extending side by side lengthwise of the device, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thus forming a ridge, designated by the numeral 19, between the two compartments of the trough and on the median line of the device. The cleats 16 are curved at their central portions to conform in a general way to the inner curves of the trough body, but preferably are formed with a straight portion 20 at their centers forming a chord of the arc of the `ridge 19, thereby strengthening and stiffening the trough along its median line.

A feed-containing rack is provided and is formed of a sheet metal hopper 2l open at top and bottom and a skeleton frame or rack 22 connected to and projecting below the lower part thereof. The feed-containing rack is materially longer and wider at its top than at itsbottom, the hopper 21 and lskeleton rack 22 having a uniform taper. Transverse supporting bars 23, preferably of angle iron, are connected to the lower part of the skeleton frame 22, and said supporting bars are apertured at one end and receive connection of a loose hinge bolt 24 passing through the eyes 14 of the base,

jwhereby the feed-containing rack is hinged to the opposite side of the base from the hinging ofthe trough. The free ends of the transverse supporting bars are adapted to rest loosely on the hinged margin of the trough in use, and preferably are formed with notches 25 in their upper surfaces near their free ends. The hinge bolts 18 are each extended at one end and bent to form hooks 2G adapted to engage the notches 25 of the transverse supports 23, and latch the feed-containing rack in position.

Transverse lpartitions 27, 28 may be mounted in the hopper 21 adjacent its ends, and a longitudinal partition 29 extends from one to the other of said transverse partitions, thus dividing the said hopper into four compartments which may contain simultaneously different kinds of feed. End shields 30, 31 may be mounted for vertical sliding movement Within and against the ends of the hopper 21, and side shields 32, 33 may be mountedagainst the sides thereof between the end partitions 27, 28. Each end shield is formed with tapering flanges 34 at its ends, occupying the spacesijbetween the ends of the hopper and the adjacent end partition 27 or 28. Each side shield 32, 33 is curved inwardly at itsV lower end so that when in lowermost position it will approach the ridge 19 and almost close the lower end of the'rfeed-containing rack. It is the function ofthe sliding shields 30, 31, 32, 33 to furnish means 'for adjusting the effective width of the opening at the lower art of the feed-containing rack, by covering the skeleton rack or frame 22 to the desired extent, thus adapting the device to the feeding of finer grains, such as shelled corn or oats, as well as hay, silage and other coarser feeds. The sliding connections of the several shields tothe hopper 21 preferably is by means of bolts 35 fixed to and projecting outwardly from the said shields and projecting through vertical slots 36 formed in the walls of the hopper, wing nuts 37 being threaded on the outer ends of said bolts to secure the shields in any desired positions. Strap handles 38 'are iixed to and project upwardly from the several shields 30, 31, 32, 33, for convenience in manipulating Same.'

A cover 39 preferably is hinged near one margin to one side of the hopper 21. Hooks l-O preferably are pivoted to the inside of the Vcover 39 and yspaced inwardly slightly from the hinged margin, and are adapted to engage an angle frame member 21a of the hopper and hold ,the cover in approximately upright V'position when open.

The divided construction of the trough, with its central longitudinal ridge 19, tends to throw `the feed'to the twosides within Copies of this patent may be obtained for reach of the animals to be fed, and prevents, the feed from piling up in the center. The trough, with the exception of its ends, is formed of a single piece of metal rolled to form the two sections and preferably protected at the edges by an angle frame, and the ends are riveted and soldered to the body portion.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a feeding trough, a feed-containing member comprising a hopper and a skeleton frame below and communicating with said hopper, and shields slidingly mounted on the side walls of said hopper and adapted to extend down within said skeleton frame, some of said shields being curved inwardly at their lower margins.

2. A feeding trough, comprising a base formed with hinge members on each side, a hopper hinged to the hinge members on one side thereof, a trough formed with hinge members on one side, frame members extending laterally from the hopper and adapted to rest on the margin of said trough and hinge pins extending loosely through the' hinge members of the said trough and the hinge members on the adjacent side of the base, said hinge pins being extended and bent to form hooks adapted to engage the ends of said frame members. 3. A device of the class described, comprising a base member formed with hinge members on each side, a lower member formed with hinge members on one side, hinge members extending loosely through the hinge members of the said lower'member and the hinge members on the adjacent side of the base member, and a superstructure hinged to the hinge members on the opposite side of the base member and adapted to rest on said lower member, the said hinge pins of said lower member being extended and bent to form hooks adapted to engage the adjacent side of said superstructure.

Signed by me at Webster City, Iowa, this thirteenth day of September, 1915.

WILLIAM A. MCCOLLOUGH.

Witnesses:

WILL L. CLIFTON, R. E. Moonn.

ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

